Educational



(No Model.)

H. .ECKHARDT EDUCATIONAL APPLIANGB.

No. 572,972. Patented Deo'. l5, 1896.

111111111111111 111111111111114 I11111111'11Il11 @MWh/a4 UNITED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEINRICH EOKHARDT, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY BARTELT, OF OEDARBURG, VISOONSIN.

EDUCATIONAL APPLIANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,972, dated December 15, 1896.

Application filed August 30, 1895. Serial No. 560,990. (No model .To all whom t T11/ay concern:

Be it known that I, HEINRICH ECKHARDT, of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Iniprovement in Educational Appliances, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

Myinvention has relation to improvements in educational appliances.

The object is to provide a simple and convenient device for use in school-rooms and nurseries, so constructed and arranged as to be of great assistance in familiarizing a child with the letters of the alphabet, as well as with numbers and other characters, and also in teaching the proper spelling and pronunciation of words.

lVith the above object in view the invention consists of the devices and parts, or their equivalents, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device with the lid or door thrown down upon its hinges. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a detail view of a letter block or type, showing the character on one face thereof; and Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the character onthe opposite face.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates a rectangular case having an open front adapted to be closed bya hinged lid or door 6, said lid provided with a suitable catch 7 for holding the lid in its closed position.

The side pieces of the case extend up beyond the top thereof, as indicated at 8 S, and between these extensions and secured thereto is an inclined back supporting-plate 0. The front edges of the extensions 8 extend forwardly beyond the inclined supportingplate, so as to form end iianges 10 10. The top of the case is also provided at its front edge with a longitudinal rib 11, while between this rib and the supporting-plate is a second longitudinal rib 12. Longitudinal grooves or ways 13 and 14, respectively, are formed between the two ribs and between the rib 12 and the supporting-plate. It will be noticed that the upper edge of rib 11 is Vlianged inwardly slightly to form a tongue 15, which fits into a dovetail groove 16 in a slide 17, which slide works in the longitudinal groove or way 13. This slide is provided with a suitable knob 1S for conveniently operating it.

lVithin the interior ot' the receptacle are provided a series of vertical and horizontal partitions which form a series of receptacles 1S), in which are convenientlyplaced the type or character blocks 20. A sufficient number of these receptacles should be provided to accommodate all the letters of the alphabet, and, if desired, the number may be increased for the accommodation of figures or other characters.

One of the type 2O is shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and from these iigures it will be seen that one face of said type is provided with a letter of the English alphabet and the opposite face with a corresponding letter of the German alphabet. It is obvious that these type may contain any other desired character or combination of characters.

In the application of the device for the purpose of instruction the hinged lid is thrown down, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to afford access to the type-receptacles. Different letters are now removed from these receptacles and placed against the inclined supporting-plate 9, so as to form any desired combination of letters or words or series of words. The lower ends of these type, as will be seen from Fig. 2, t in the groove 14 and are thereby more firmly retained in position. After the supporting-plate is filled up with the different characters the slide 17 is pushed into the groove or way 13, with the tongue 15 of rib 1l engaging the dovetail groove 16, the slide being pushed the distance necessary to bring its ends flush with the forwardly-extending flanges 10 10, so that the characters are completely obscured thereby. The teacher now grasps the knob 18 and pulls the slide outward far enough to expose one letter, as, for instance, the letter 0. The child is then requested to pronounce the letter so exposed. The slide is next pulled outward a suflicient distance to expose the next letter of the series, as, for instance, the letter A After this letter is pronounced the slide is ICO again moved far enough to expose the next letter, as, for instance, the letter T. After the child pronounces this letter he is required to name the word which the combination of letters spells.

It will be apparent that my invention provides a most interesting means of teaching orthography, and where numbers are used on the type of teaching the names of said numbers or combinations thereof. In faeta simple method is provided whereby a child may readily familiarize himself or herself with a variety of different characters which may be on the type-blocks.

It will be observed that the type are ol' sul.'- ficient length to extend slightly above the back supporting-plate U, so as to enable the instructor to convenient-ly remove characters and replace them by others without the necessity of pulling out the slide each time.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is"

l. In an educational appliance, the combination of a ease having side extensions projecting above its top, said top provided with a transverse groove, a supporting-plate extending across the top of the case from a medial point of one side extension to a corresponding point of the other extension, said plate being located back of the groove, and adapted to serve as a back support for character-blocks, and a slide of substantially the length of the back supporting-plate, said slide adapted te fit movably within the groove, substantially as described.

2. In an educational appliance, the combination, of a case having side extensions projecting above its top, and provided with a transverse groove extending from one side extension to the other, a supporting-plate extending across the top of the case from a inedial point of one of said extensions to a corresponding point of the other extension, said plate being located back of the groove, a slide of substantially the length of the back plate, said slide adapted to fit movably within the groove, and character-blocks adapted to be iitted in the space between the supportingplate and the slide, and to rest against said supporting-plate, said blocks being of such length as to extend above the upper edges of the supporting-plate and the slide, whereby they may be readily removed by finger-grasp, substantially as described.

3. In an educational appliance, the combination, of a case having side extensions proj ecting above its top, said top provided with transverse grooves, extending the length of the top, the outer groove provided with an inwardly-extending lip or tongue, a supporting-plate extending across the top of the case from a medial point of one of said extensions to a corresponding point of the other extension, said plate being located back of the grooves, a slide lit-ting movably the outer groove, and provided on its face, near its lower end with a longitudinal dovetail groove adapted to receive the projecting lip ortongue of the outer groove, and character-blocks arranged between the slide and the supportingplate, and resting against the supportingplate, the lower ends of said blocks fitting the inner groove, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HEINRICH ECKHARD'I.

ARTHUR L. MonsELL, VILLIAM A. LANGE. 

